VietNamNet Bridge – Local sea tourism has attracted many visitors, foreign and local alike, with up to 70-75% of international travelers and 50% of local tourists choosing coastal regions as destinations, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Cu Lao Cham.

Sea tourism has posted strong growth in revenues thanks to the huge numbers of visitors in recent years, with its sale growth rate averaging out at nearly 23.7% annually in the 2000-2010 period.

Sea tourism revenues posted more than VND7.1 trillion in 2000, which then leapt to over VND60.1 trillion in 2010, or some US$3 billion, accounting for over 59% to the country’s total tourism revenues.

The information is mentioned in the plan on developing sea, island and coastal tourism by 2020 that has been approved by the culture ministry.

Under the planning, State management authorities will make stronger investments in infrastructure, products and promotions in the sea-tourism segment from now to 2020 to raise its revenues to more than US$10 billion by 2020.

To reach the ambitious goal, the local tourism industry under the plan has set a target of developing six international sea tourism destinations with strong competitiveness in the region by 2020, including Ha Long-Bai Tu Long-Cat Ba in the north, Lang Co-Canh Duong, Hoi An-Cu Lao Cham, Nha Trang-Cam Ranh, and Phan Thiet-Mui Ne in the central region, and Phu Quoc off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.

Specially, the industry plans to construct and put into operation tourism seaports Ha Long, Danang, Nha Trang, HCMC and Phu Quoc by 2015 to address the shortage of specialized tourism seaports in the nation badly affecting service supply for local and foreign visitors currently.

The culture ministry said that by 2020 Vietnam’s sea socioeconomic development would focus on the seas and coastal regions in the north (Mong Cai-Ninh Binh) and those in the north-central and the central (Thanh Hoa-Binh Thuan), in the southeast (Ba Ria-Vung Tau-HCMC) and in the southwest (Tien Giang-Ca Mau-Ha Tien).

Besides the investment plans, relevant authorities in the tourism industry also propose many supporting policies to develop sea and coastal tourism including loosening the visa policy to attract foreign travelers to the nation. The ministry even suggests exempting visa for foreign visitors to popular tourism islands like Con Dao and Phu Quoc.

Source: SGT